I have seen a lot of people are trying to prepare fish chum with the help of some wired appliances. Many of us do not have a meat grinder in the kitchen. The one who has a meat grinder still can find it difficult to prepare fish chum if the grinder is not suitable for this purpose. In this article, I’ll guide you to find out the best fish chum grinder for boats. These chumming machines are equally good for frozen and fresh fish. You can use these fish carcass grinders in your kitchen as well as a companion while you are fishing.
Best Fish Grinders For Chum – Our top pick
| Models | Dimension | Size | Wattage | Weight | Output Speed |
| Kitchener #32 | 23.8 x 10.9 x 18.3 | #32 | 1100 W | 75 Lbs | 1080 Lbs/H |
| Happybuy #22 | 20.1 x 16.4 x 11.4 | #22 | 750 W | 51.5 Lbs | 375 Lbs/H |
| Weston #32 Manual | 10.5 x 13 x 13 | #32 | N/A | 19.2 Lbs | N/A |
| LEM Big Bite #32 | 12.09 x 24.49 x 18.9 | #32 | Not Found | 57.3 lbs | 1020 Lbs/ H |
| Gourmia GMG525 | 5.5 x 13.5 x 11.8 | Not found | 800 W | 6.85 Lbs | Unknown |
Kitchener Electric Grinder #32 1.5 HP [Editor’s Choice]
Kitchener is a renowned name for home appliances. The produces a good number of heavy commercial-grade grinders for a residential kitchen. These grinders are equally applicable for fish chum grinding. As per the quality required to become a good fish chumming grinder, Kitchener #32 becomes one of the best options available for us.
Features
- Dimension (inches): 23.8 x 10.9 x 18.3
- Weight: 75 Lbs
- Size: #32
- Output speed: 1080 Lbs/H
- Motor power: 1100 W, 1.5 HP
- Voltage: 110/120 volts
- Grade: Heavy home/ commercial
- Metal quality: Stainless steel
What is good about Kitchener #32
- Larger #32 size feeding tube is good for consuming larger chunks of fishes.
- The speed of operation is more than a thousand pounds per hour.
- Motor power is 1100 watts. This is more than enough for crushing tough fish bones.
- Stainless steel body, feed tray, and small parts ensure the longevity of the grinder.
- Good for both- commercial and residential purposes.
What could have been improved
- The price of this unit is high, although the quality justifies the cost.
- Weight is too much.
Overall
If fishing is not something that you do it once in a blue moon, you do it too often, then I would recommend you to get Kitchener #32 for your fish chum. The quality all around is A+. Therefore, you invest once and reap for long.
Happybuy Electric Fish Grinder 750W #22 [Best Electric]
Happybuy is also a renowned name for heavy commercial range grinder. Their #22 is a strong machine but economical than Kitchener #32. Below is the detail of this unit.
Features
- Dimension (inches): 20.1 x 16.4 x 11.4
- Weight: 51.5 Lbs
- Size: #22
- Output speed: 375 Lbs/H
- Motor power: 750 W
- Voltage: 110/120 Volts
- Grade: Heavy home/ commercial
- Metal quality: Stainless steel
What is good about Happybuy #22
- Large #22 grinder that can handle a larger chunk of fish.
- A powerful motor having 750 W and 1 HP.
- Stainless steel metal used for longevity.
- The price is comparatively reasonable.
- Good for the residential kitchen as well.
What could have been improved
- Machine speed is not as expected, although doable.
- The quality of the hopper is not up to the mark.
Overall
Happybuy #22 is for you if you cannot afford to get the Kitchener #32. Both of these are made with stainless steel. Happybuy cut down some facilities such as grinding speed, size of the feed tube, and so on to meet the price. But I think it is still a good option for preparing fish chum.
Weston #32 Manual Tinned Grinder [Best Manual]
Weston is popular for producing commercial-grade meat grinders. Their #32 manual grinder is renowned for so many reasons. As a chum grinder, this machine can do a great job. Below is the detail.
Features
- Dimension (inches): 10.5 x 13 x 13
- Weight: 19.2 pounds
- Size: #32
- Output speed: unspecified
- Motor power: Not applicable
- Voltage: Not applicable
- Grade: Residential/ Specialized
- Metal quality: body- tin, accessories- stainless steel
What is good about Weston #32 Manual
- Manual grinder. Therefore, lighter than electric ones and has higher portability. This is great for fishing.
- The price is reasonable.
- Big size #32 for convenience.
- Both permanent and temporary mounting options available.
- A good number of accessories have been provided which are good for having different kinds of output.
What could have been improved
- Stainless steel alloy is not used to make the body.
- Manual grinder. Therefore, the speed of grinding is not comparable with an electric grinder.
Overall
Many of you many like to have a portable yet doable grinder for making the best chum. Researching all other options, I think Weston #32 will be a great choice. Although you need to hand crank, you don’t have any other option if you need portability.
LEM Big Bite #32 For Fish Chum [ People’s Choice]
LEM Product’s Big Bite series is probably the most popular in premium quality food grinder series. This #32 grinder is equivalent to Weston’s #32 grinder in terms of quality and price. We have chosen this one because of its popularity.
Features
- Dimension (inches): 12.09 x 24.49 x 18.9
- Weight: 57.3 lbs
- Size: #32
- Output speed: 1020 Lbs/ H
- Motor power: 1.5 HP
- Voltage: 110/120 Volts
- Grade: Heavy home/ commercial
- Metal quality: Stainless steel
What is good about LEM #32 Big Bite
- Good to handle the larger size of fishes as it’s a #32 grinder
- High speed of 1020 lbs per hour
- The motor of this unit is powerful having a power rating of 1.5 HP.
- Stainless steel has been used to prepare the body and accessories.
- Good for even commercial uses.
What could have been improved
- The price might not be reasonable for everyone.
- Bulky and weighty. Therefore, not easily portable.
Overall
It is difficult to differentiate LEM’s #32 and Weston’s #32 as a fish grinder. Because of the popularity of LEM’s heavy-duty grinders, we have listed this one in our top list. However, you can compare yourself and choose anyone you like between these two.
Gourmia GMG525 Electric Grinder [ Most Cost Effective]
If you are looking for a cheaper option to grind the fish and make fish chum then Gourmia GMG525 is the best option for you. There are many other cheaper options available in the market. The reason why we have chosen this one is the most value for the money. It is cheaper but has a powerful motor that is a rarity for an inexpensive grinder. Let’s find the detail.
Feature
- Dimension (inches): 5.5 x 13.5 x 11.8
- Weight: 6.85 Lbs
- Size: Unknown
- Output speed: Unknown
- Motor power: 800 W
- Voltage: 110/120 volts
- Grade: Regular home grade
- Metal quality: Aluminum alloy
What is good about Gourmia GMG525
- Lightweight: The weight of this unit is only about 7 lbs. Therefore, you can carry it with the boat comfortably.
- Price is so reasonable
- The motor is powerful to handle the soft bones of the fish.
- Good for daily home use. A lot of accessories have been provided for free.
- Easy to assemble and disassemble. Therefore, cleaning is convenient.
What could have been improved
- Made of aluminum alloy. Therefore, needs to be cautious about corrosion.
- The size of the grinder is not found but I guess it’ll be #8. Therefore, a Fishman needs to cut the big fishes into small pieces to put in the feeding tube.
Overall
You need an electric grinder for grinding the fish but have a budget constraint as well. In this case, I must suggest Gourmia GMG525. This product will give you the best value for the money and is still good for the purpose. The only problem that you might face is, you need to cut the big fish into small pieces. Other than that, it is great!
LEM #10 Stanless Steel Hand Grinder
Features
- Dimension (inches): 11.5 x 8.3 x 5.3
- Weight: Unknown
- Size: #10
- Output speed: N/A
- Grade: Regular home using/ fishing
- Metal quality: Stainless steel
What is good about LEM #10 hand crank grinder
- It is made of stainless steel. Therefore, it will not form rust even if it get in touch with saline water when you are on the boat.
- This LEM #10 grinder has a smooth and premium finishing. It will be a good complement to your boat or kitchen.
- You can use this grinder for grinding meat apart from making fish chum.
- It does not require electricity to run. Therefore, you can carry it even with your kayak where you do not have electricity connections.
- This LEM fish grindre is lightweight. Therefore, it is highly portable.
What could have been improved
- It is a #10 grinder. Therefore, you will have to cut the large chunk of fishes into pieces before putting it on the feeding tube.
- As the grinder is made of stainless steel, it is expensive.
Overall
If portability is your priority and you need to prepare the chum on the boat, then this LEM #10 hand crank grinder will be a better suggestion for you. Although it is expensive, it is a long-term solution for chumming.
Buying Guide for a fish chum grinder
Size
The size of the feed tube is an important aspect of a grinder for fish. If you want to grind a fish without cutting it into pieces, then you must need a grinder with a larger diameter. The size of our kitchen meat grinder is generally either #5 or #8 which is not sufficient to take a big fish without cutting it into pieces. Therefore, a chum grinder has to be at least #22 or better if it is #32. The diameter of the feeding tube for #32 grinder is 3 7/8” which is good to receive larger pieces.
Motor power
A fish chum grinder should successfully grind fish bones. Therefore, an electric fish chum grinder has a sufficiently powerful motor. Interestingly, if you get a #22 or #32 electric fish grinder, you must get a powerful motor with it. For any reason, if you get a #12 or #8 grinder, make sure that the motor power is at least 500 W.
Built material
The material of a fish chum grinder has to be more resistant to corrosion than a meat grinder. If you want to use your grinder for a few years, you have to get a machine that is made of stainless steel which is the best to resist rust formation due to saline water. The problem with S/S material is the cost which is so much. Therefore, you need to balance your needs and the cost.
Grinding speed
Speed of operation should not be an issue if you get an ideal fish grinder. But if you want to get a #8 grinder for dual purpose, make sure that it has at least 250 lbs per hour grinding speed. Grinding speed should not be a consideration for an amateur Fishman. Therefore, be satisfied with what you get with your kitchen grinder if you are a novice.
Portability
Stainless steel made grinders are weighty. These are almost 3 to 4 times heavier than aluminum-made grinders. Therefore, if you want a light portable fish grinder, then you must get a grinder that is made of aluminum which will save you a lot of money as well. But do not forget to clean it after use as you might know that aluminum is prone to corrosion.
Read our article to find more budget grinders that are under $100
FAQ- Commonly asked questions about the fish grinder
Can I use my meat grinder to grind fish?
Yes, you can. Fishes are softer than meat. Therefore, there is no problem grinding fish with your meat grinder. In our kitchen, we have a residential-grade meat grinder. These are good enough if you are an entry-level Fishman.
What size grinder do I need to grind fishes to prepare bait fish chum?
There is no limit. Bigger is better. For a small size meat grinder, you need to cut the fish into small pieces when you give the input. But if you are a frequent Fishman, you must not have that much time. For a #32 grinder, you can put a whole big size fish into the grinder without needing it to cut in pieces.
What are the most important aspects of a fish grinder?
Grinder size and building material. As I mentioned, grinder size should be at least #22 to grind the fish with convenience. I suggest getting a stainless steel-made grinder as well. Because might take the grinder with you on the boat, the salinity can corrode the metal. Stainless steel is so far the most corrosion-resistant metal on earth.
Can I mix pet food, corn, brine shrimp with the frozen fish during grinding?
Yes, you can. You do not need to mix all the ingredients differently.
How to store the fish grinder?
A fish grinder needs to be cleaned and washed properly after use. The salinity can produce rust. Therefore, after washing, dry it well and put some dehydrator when storing it.
Final words
A fish grinder is nothing that much different from a meat grinder. But the need to choose the right one as per your usage pattern. Therefore, I have tried to suggest the best options for different situations. I hope it helped. If you like the article, do not forget to share it. I also appreciate your comment regarding your experience of fish chumming. Good luck with your fishing!
My name is Phillip Lara I own a shrimp boat and I want to get in the chum business.